What's this CRAP on FAUX about?

[ewagner]

Just bounced through the channels and some commentator on Faux was talking about the "proven link" between Al Queda and Iraq. He said that one of the indicted bombers of the trade center in '93 was an Iraqi who ran and hid in Iraq and this proves the link. As usual the Rep Congressman guest jumped all over it to justify the war, the Dem tried to avert it but the asshole kept hammering him with the "fact". What Fact? This is the absolute first I've heard of any of this.

It appears to me that Bushco is leaking unsubstantiated bull to FAUX and letting them do the dirty work so they don't get the dirty footprints leading back to the Oval Office.

I'm infuriated!!!!!

[Kamika]

1. so..

you only noticed this about fox now??

[ewagner]

2. Not the point

The question is has anyone else heard this new spin?

Where's it coming from?

Can it be reputed?

or...

(blush) am I the last Dem on the planet to hear this story?

[DEMActivist]

4. Cheney said it today on Meet the Press

new talking point, evidently.

Read all about it on John Marshall's Talking Points memo: http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/

[ignatiusr]

8. Yes

That was the most ludicrous part of Cheney's appearance. He makes this bizaare, broad connection between Al-Qaeda and the Iraqi government just because one Iraqi was involved in a bombing at the WTC 10 years ago. THEN, Russert mentions the fact that virtually all of the actual 9/11 hijackers were Saudis. Cheney then asserts that this proves nothing, saying that just because Saudi citizens were involved doesn't mean the Saudi government was.

So...if 95% of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi Arabian, we musn't come to any conclusions about whether the Saudi Arabian government had anything to do with the attacks, since these were mere citizens. BUT, if one, lone Iraqi citizen was somewhat involved in the WTC bombing ten years ago, that must be a CLEAR link between Al-Qaeda and the Iraqi government! Could this be any more of an obvious and ridiculous double-standard?

[kentuck]

3. And the logic follows that....

Fifteen of the last terrorists were from Saudi Arabia ?? Does this also prove that Saudi was connected to the WTC bombing?

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. It was obviously a crime of proportion.

If we attacked Iraq because one terrorist was known to flee to Iraq, then why aren't we nuking Saudi Arabia where we know that 19 of the suicide bomber terrorist came from that country?

[uptohere]

6. because they do not flee to there ?

or at least not that we hear.

[Democat]

7. Timothy McVeigh was in the U.S. Army

That proves the U.S. government bombed the Oklahoma City federal building?

[NNN0LHI]

9. Iraq tried many times to give him to the US but we would not take him

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/02/60minutes/main510847.shtml

(CBS) THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY IS ABDUL RAHMAN YASIN, ONE OF THE FBI’S MOST WANTED TERRORISTS, A KEY PARTICIPANT IN THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO BLOW UP THE WORLD TRADE CENTER IN 1993. THE BOMBING THAT KILLED 6 AND INJURED MORE THAN 1,000. IT WAS AT THE TIME THE SINGLE WORST ACT OF INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM EVER ON U.S. SOIL.

BECAUSE YASIN FLED TO IRAQ AFTER THE BOMBING, IT’S BEEN SUGGESTED THAT SADDAM HUSSEIN MAY HAVE HAD A HAND IN THE ATTACK. THAT’S BEEN CITED AS ONE OF SEVERAL REASONS WHY THE IRAQI DICTATOR SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM POWER.

AFTER SEPTEMBER 11TH, PRESIDENT BUSH PUT YASIN ON A NEW MOST WANTED LIST OF TERRORISTS WITH A REWARD OF 25 MILLION DOLLARS.

WITH YASIN IN IRAQ ALL THESE YEARS, HE HAS BEEN OUT OF THE REACH OF U-S LAW ENFORCEMENT. WE MET WITH HIM…IN BAGHDAD TEN DAYS AGO.

AND HERE HE IS – ONE OF THE MOST WANTED TERRORISTS IN THE WORLD -- IN PRISON PAJAMAS UNDER HEAVY GUARD. YASIN IS ACTUALLY AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, BORN IN BLOOMINGTON INDIANA, WHERE HIS IRAQI FATHER WAS GETTING A PhD. BUT HE GREW UP IN BAGHDAD, SO WHEN HE FLED AFTER THE BOMBING, HE WAS COMING HOME. AFTER A YEAR OF FREEDOM, HE WAS ARRESTED BY THE IRAQI AUTHROTIES IN 1994. HE’S NEVER BEEN CHARGED WITH A CRIME, BUT THE IRAQI INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, THE MUKHABARAT, SAYS HE’S BEEN IN CUSTODY FOR THE PAST 8 YRS.

<snip>YASIN SAYS HE WAS COOPERATING. SO DOES NEAL HERMAN, THE RETIRED FBI AGENT WHO SUPERVISED THE INVESTIGATION OF THE ‘93 BOMBING.

HERMAN: He gave us information about associates of Mr. Salameh and several locations where there were search warrants being executed. Bomb factories had been identified. And he was a person that was giving information that we felt was of, of value to us.

YASIN WAS SO HELPFUL, THE FBI RELEASED HIM.

STAHL: The FBI let you go?

YASIN: Yeah. Yeah.

STAHL: They let you go.

YASIN: He drove me back home in the FBI car.

STAHL: Did they ever ask you if you were involved in any way?

YASIN: No.

STAHL: They never once asked any question about whether you took to part in this in any way?

YASIN: No. All the talking was on Ramzi Yousef and Mohammed Salameh.

<snip>SO THEY RELEASED HIM AGAIN. THIS TIME, HE WENT STRAIGHT TO A TRAVEL AGENT, BOUGHT A ONE-WAY TICKET TO THE MIDDLE EAST AND FLEW OFF THAT VERY NIGHT, NEVER TO BE SEEN IN THE U.S. – TILL NOW.

<snip>ACCORDING TO THE IRAQIS, YASIN HAS LIVED HERE IN THIS PRISON ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF BAGHDAD FOR THE LAST 8 YEARS, SOMETHING WE WERE UNABLE TO VERIFY. IRAQI OFFICIALS HERE SAY THEY ALLOWED OUR INTERVIEW BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTHING TO HIDE.

STAHL: Did anybody from Iraq send you to the United States?

YASIN: No, no.

STAHL: From the government.

YASIN: No, no.

STAHL: Were you in touch with anybody from the government?

YASIN: No. When I went to the United States, I had no idea about the explosion. I went there to live an ordinary life, like any other American citizen. That’s it.

<snip>AZIZ: Told the Americans that Yasin is in Iraq, and the Iraqi authorities are ready to deliver him to the American authorities, if the American government sent a team to Baghdad. The American government said no, we are not going to send a team to Baghdad. But we are ready to receive him in the capital of that government.

STAHL: Of this third country.

AZIZ: Of the third country. We said, okay. We will take the man to the capital of that country, and deliver him to the American authorities. But, they should sign a paper, that they have received Yasin from the Iraqi authorities, in the presence of the third party. They refused to sign a paper. And therefore, the delivery did not take place.

STAHL: And why did you insist on that?

AZIZ: Because in every delivery, there should be proof.

STAHL: Like a Fed Ex package.

AZIZ: Yeah.

STAHL: If the third party signed the paper? If the third party said, "We handed it over," that's not good enough?

<snip>ALL THE WHILE IN WASHINGTON, THE DEBATE OVER GETTING RID OF SADDAM IS HEATING UP. WE ASKED THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO COMMENT ON THE

THE IRAQI OFFER TO TURN YASIN OVER. THE WHITE HOUSE TOLD US TO CALL THE STATE DEPARTMENT - WHICH TOLD US TO CALL THE WHITE HOUSE. NEITHER BUILDING WOULD COMMENT.

SO WE TURNED TO KENNETH POLLACK WHO HANDLED IRAQI ISSUES AT BOTH THE CIA AND THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL DURING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION. HE'S NOW WITH THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS.

<snip>THE U-S, HE SAID, OFFERED TO SIGN A SIMPLE RECEIPT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THE IRAQIS HAD TURNED YASIN OVER TO US. BUT THEY DID NOT RESPOND.

REMEMBER THOSE FINGERPRINTS, THE ONES WE TOOK OF YASIN? THE FBI SAID IT DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO SEARCH IN THEIR DATA BANK TO MEET OUR DEADLINE, HOWEVER, WE WERE ABLE TO VERIFY YASIN'S IDENTITY THROUGH A SOURCE WHO KNEW HIM IN NEW JERSEY.

FINALLY: IF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION DECIDES TO TAKE THE IRAQI'S UP ON THEIR OFFER AND YASIN IS TURNED OVER, DOES THAT MEAN SADDAM HUSSSEIN GETS THE $25-MILLION DOLLAR REWARD?

more

[0rganism]

11. That's one of the nuttiest damn things I've ever read

:crazy:

Thanks for the head-whacker, NNN0LHI

:crazy:

[NNN0LHI]

12. Think the real criminals in DC are getting desperate when they have...

...jamokes like this guy on their FBI most wanted list? Its pathetic.

Don

[ewagner]

15. NNN.. Thanks so much

for the info...

Cheney lies (again) and FAUX swears to the lie......now we're supposed to believe that its all true.

Also ironic....after reading "Talking Points" and seeing what Cheney actually said:

1. He has "no idea" why 70% of America thinks Saddam was involved in 9/11...then in the next breath, draw another erroneous conclusion about it.

2. He said that they found out "after they went in" that this person was in Iraq.. So they didn't know before hannd (a lie) so they invaded the country and then found a reason to invade...

Orwell would be soo proud!

[NNN0LHI]

16. You are welcome, Sir. That is what I am here for n/t

[oasis]

10. A variation of Bush's global warming canard: our experts vs your experts.

[bowens43]

13. We had Al Queda members hiding in the US

and according to the administration we still do. That's a proven link!! By their logic , bombing the US is justified.

[pretzel4gore]

14. criminally run organizations...

the media and most big biz, not to mention the 'righteous' governments...

[neebob]

17. This may sound really stupid

but I was flipping through Al Franken's book looking for parts I'd skimmed in my initial reading, and I noticed where he says Orrin Hatch got in trouble for revealing some intercepts from Bin Laden associates after 9/11, and it occurred to me they probably intended to blame it on Saddam Hussein and Hatch foiled their plans. Wasn't it Wesley Clark who said someone from the White House was on the phone that same day, wanting him to link it to Iraq? I can't remember where I read that. It makes extra-special sense since they blew off OBL and the poll said a majority of Americans believe Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11. Now here they all are, talking it up.